Preserving The Environment

Recycling - The First Step To Green Lifestyle

Recycling is one of the best proofs that green lifestyle and responsible environmental behaviour does not have to cost a thing. All it takes to reduce waste pollution and the pressure on natural resources is to put sorted waste into the right waste bins. By doing so, you will make a great contribution to the green movement which aims to reduce the human impact on the environment and pass a cleaner and healthier planet to the future generations.

We all create waste. A lot of it. And the things we all throw away on a daily basis have to end up somewhere and that somewhere are landfills which, however, can take in only a limited amount of waste. As a result, many countries are facing serious problems with continuously expanding waste disposal areas which are not only destroying wildlife habitat and the landscape but have also started dangerously approaching human settlements as many materials that end up in landfills take decades or even centuries to decompose, not to mention that many seriously pollute the soil, air and groundwater which is the only source of drinking water in most parts of the world including the UK.

Recycling does not eliminate the problem with the expansion of the landfills, however, it significantly reduces the amount of waste material that ends up in landfills because all recyclable materials are reused. Furthermore, waste sorting also reduces the risk of soil and water contamination as hazardous material is collected and destroyed safely. By sorting and properly disposing your waste, you will do a lot more for the environment than you may think and in the end, yourself as well because anything that helps preserve the environment clean and healthy helps preserve your health as well.

To ensure that all waste materials end up in the right place, you should pay attention to which trash bin you throw a particular material. Paper for example, is collected separately from other materials and the same counts for glass. Then there is plastic which is sometimes collected separately and sometimes with other materials such as PVC and aluminium tins. If you are not sure where a particular waste material belongs, contact your local authorities. And do not worry about it because most people need some help and additional advice when starting sorting their waste. But eventually, recycling will become your second nature.

Do not forget about hazardous waste which includes unused medications, bottles with leftovers of cleaning products, paint, waste oil, etc. which are particularly harmful to the environment. Hazardous waste typically cannot be reused but it does not belong into landfills either as it poses a serious threat to both the environment and human health both directly and indirectly. Unused antibiotics for example that end up in the nature enable the germs to develop resistance and as a result, antibiotics are no longer as effective as they were a few years ago.

As you see, putting your waste into a container is not enough to keep the environment clean and much less healthy. So do your part of the job if you would like your grandchildren and great grandchildren to be able to drink tap water and inherit the planet at least in its current condition.